Saturday, 12 May 2012

It's that time of year when I dust off my formula 1 t-shirt and head off to sunnier locations, and so I did.

With Michelle working for herself, she doesn't have to disappear for the entire day, so for a few hours a day she will pop out for a class, sometimes I will tag along for a change of conversation for those who are learning English.

So these little jaunts out break up the days, where as we would have been lazing about, but one day we would venture forth, meet up with Michelle's friends and have a barbecue.

One trip out for a class and I was doing a quiz with her class and the next, talking with a helicopter mechanic about the helicopters my dad used to work on when he was in the navy.

The barbecue was a proper grand day out, driving out to somewhere Michelle had never been before, to meet up with friends from the village, over here they know how to barbecue, huge grills have been built in the park so you can bring your stuff along and get on with it. Language for me is still very difficult, as I have been so lazy about my Spanish, and it came down to pointing at different object and comparing what the word was in English and Spanish. Some people have some understanding of English and my Spanish is very limited, but eventually conversation is somewhat possible.

Everyone has brought something to eat or drink, so it's all pooled together and the grills fired up. It's funny at all these sort of occasions that certain people gravitate and take over, but as long as they are happy to do it and are good at it, I have no problem, not that I would be able to make myself understood anyway.

Masses of meat is prepared and consumed, wine and beer is handed about, and everyone has a great time. The obligatory guitar is revealed and strummed in Spanish, some sing along, but when one girl sings in English, even I cannot workout what the song is.

As the sun decides to recede, we pack up and leave the park nice and tidy, all respectful like. Well we may want to come back here again sometime.

Obviously we wander about a bit with the dogs and take in the scenery.

What can I say, but we had amazing seats, with a great view of the start finish straight, the noise is incredible and ear plugs are a must for the start. Everyone is in good spirits, the pantomime booing for Hamilton still continues, but no offence is taken, no-one is going to start a fight over what shirt people are wearing, unlike other 'sports'.

Hamilton is stripped of pole due to a fuel irregularity, not having enough for a sample, and is demoted to back of the grid, so seeing him plough through the field made for an entertaining day. Alonso made another lightening start and jumps Madlonado at the start, but there are many more laps to go.

Schumacher screams past us only to collide with Senna just out of view from us, all are ok and the race continues uninterrupted. Alonso has the lead until the final pit stops, Michelle is all excited about the prospect of an Alonso victory, but I have been counting the time during the pit stops, and I tell Michelle no, she looks at me quite puzzled. Maldonado had really put his foot down, and rushes past us as Alonso just exits the pit lane, for Alonso it's not enough and we have a surprise winner of the day in Pastor Maldonado.

Hamilton did his best with his start position, and finishes 8th.

We remove ourselves from our seats, and take up a nice spot under the grandstand to finish off some of the food we brought with us. I go for a wander and pick myself up a new t-shirt. A Catalunya Ciruit one with all the winners on it.

Well that's it for this year, lets hope it's at Barcelona next year, because they want to alternate the Spanish Grand Prix between here and Valencia, fingers crossed